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Reggae - A daily blog

Reggae - September 2006

Jimmy Spliff and the Weedkillers

September 29th 2006 03:34
I am just watching some footage from the Sydney SkaBQ a few years back and featured, amongst others, are Jimmy Spliff and the Weedkillers. For those not in the know, Jimmy Spliff were the side project of great Melbourne punk band H-Block 101. Their name comes, obviously, at least to some, from the great reggae man Jimmy Cliff.

They didn't play particularly frequently and a good part of their set were the HBlock reggae songs, but nonetheless, they were a top band.

They played songs like Stop That Train, Harder They Come, Funky Kingston plus some of their own - Burning with the Times, Sky is Falling etc. Unfortunately they broke up when H-Block 101 did, but they are fondly remembered. They played reggae similarly to the Clash (of course), which meant it was very punky, but it was bloody good.


Very much an underrated as were H-Block 101. I hadn't seen footage from that gig at the Harp for a couple of years and it brought back fond memories.

Next week I will be reviewing the four CD box the Strange Tenants have just released. From early listenings I am liking it quite a bit. Stay tuned for that then! Have a good weekend. I will.
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Sydney reggae events this weekend

September 28th 2006 10:56
There be quite a few things on this weekend in Sydney town so no excuse for having nothing to do. Get out and hear some music!

Friday night we are heading off to a thing called Black Cherry @ the Mandarine Club. It isn't reggae, but rather punk and psychobilly and the like I believe. What is getting me along is the cheap drinks the Mandarine Club offers. Something like $2.50 schooners.

Saturday night is reggae @ Hermann's (Sydney Uni). See the flyer below. A little bit expensive at $15, but if you can afford it you're likely to have a good time. Nasty Tek will be featuring.


Sunday during the day is a thing called One Love @ the Addison Centre in Marrickville. Assuming the weather is decent this will be a good family affair. Starts at 1 pm.

Monday, to finish things off, offers a cruise. Leaves @ 1145 am from Pyrmont Bay Wharf and will see Steppin' Razor amongst others play. Tickets are $20 for it.



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The recording process

September 27th 2006 08:37
Been in a band for a while and we recording with our initial lineup a couple of years ago, but it was never released and that was pretty shit. Right now we are recording a new set of tracks with a pretty different looking lineup and it will be ready very soon. That is the background out of the way.

The recording process has nothing on the live performance. It is a boring and arduous process needing much repetition and I would compare it to rehearsing. Nothing beats the live gig for sure.

The first place we recorded was in a dude's house and it was great that it was relaxed. We drank the good stuff and ate without hassle, but the guy was a weirdo and it was way too far away.

This time we weren't meant to drink near the gear and there wasn't anywhere for me to relax, but the gear was good and the guys were into the music and cool. It hasn't taken very long at all and it looks like we will have a CD within a 2 week period. Oh and apart from the cost of the tape - yes we are recording on tape, it was free.

So what would be the ultimate? Free recording, in my house studio (no I don't have one) beer flowing, guys doing it who love reggae and a 2 week turn around for the release. It is a nice dream.
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Lawless Street Sydney Reggae Radio

September 26th 2006 08:18
Radio is a great thing. Personally I am a little surprised it has passed the test of time with all the glitz and glamour that holds many people's attention these days, but I am glad that it has.

As it will on in a couple of days time, I thought a perfect time to tell you about Lawless Street so you can organise yourself to get hold of a radio, tune it in and listen. 88.5 FM 2RRR is the frequency and the station. It is local radio and should be supported.

The time. Thursdays, 4-6 pm.

The music is Jamaican which means reggae, but also some ska, dancehall, mento etc. A little bit of everything.

Also listen in 8 - 10 am Fridays for Bass Culture. Usually hosted by Jason, but as he is in Spain, at the moment, hosted by the Lawless St crew.

To get an idea what is being played on the show, head over to: http://lawless-street.blogspot.com/ where you'll find some playlists that might tickle your fancy and if you are in Sydney town, listen in!
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Boss Sounds Festival Newcastle UK

September 25th 2006 06:06
I am constantly salivating over the gigs overseas. I have been to a fair share of excellent gigs in my time, but they just aren't as consistent as they are in the USA, Europe and the UK. I am concentrating on gigs in the UK more lately as, assuming everything goes to plan, I will be on my way to the UK halfway through next year as an upstanding teacher of young people.

It took me a while to get to the point, which is to tell of the festival to be held in Newcastle (UK) on November 18th and 19th. The University of Northumbria will play host to a pretty big lineup


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Normally I get someone else to do my posters for the events I put on (cheers Torrin!) because I am not that talented when it comes to ye olde photoshop, but this time I thought I would have a go. Mosied on down to get them printed and damn, in full colour A3 don't they look good.

Let me know what you think and if you're in town, you should come along to our weekender! Jam packed mod, skinhead, ska and reggae. Full details over at: http://www.dizzybeatnetwork.com/skorcher/
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Firehouse this weekend

September 21st 2006 06:00
The popular Sydney soundsystem Firehouse returns to the Marquee this Saturday night. I haven't actually been to a Firehouse at the Marquee yet, but this could well be my first one.

The complaint with FH is that despite having a huge collection of sixties rocksteady, reggae and ska and depsite the fact it probably gets the most people on the floor, they don't really play much of it. My theory would be because it doesn't allow for enough self-indulgence by those behind the decks and the mic, but c'mon, it's all about the punters. I'm coming along, so let me here some original boss sounds


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The Bob Marley sensation

September 20th 2006 09:14
Bob Marley... the comedian
It was over a year ago that a BBC journalist embarassed the UK's most reputable news source when they requested an interview with the great man as part of documentary on the man. First of all, surely if you are going to do a documentary on the man, you should know enough about him that would make you aware he had died almost 25 years before. It does pose another question however and that is whether the theory that Bob Marley took reggae to the rest of the world was actually true?

Did Bob Marley make reggae and himself a household name across the world? It depends. A lot of people still do not know what reggae is. Many of those are of an older generation, but there are those who aren't. There are those who have heard of it, but are not actually aware of what it is. Fair enough, that's no skin off my nose


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I am quite pleased to say all the bands for the Ska, Reggae, Mod and Skinhead Weekender we are putting on in Decenmber. It's called Skorcher and runs for three days at a number of Sydney locations. Eight different bands will take part in the weekend plus a host of DJs. They are a mix of Sydney bands with a couple from Melbourne and it's set to be a pretty good time.

Updated info: http://www.dizzybeatnetwork.com/skorcher/
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Madness with the Aggrolites

September 17th 2006 23:45
madness
Madness are well and truly back in the swing of things these days touring quite extensively in the UK and Europe. Living in the UK, you really don't have any excuse for not seeing them and why wouldn't you, with the mix of old classics and the new gems that have come from their matured song writing abilities.

What sweetens the deal for their December show is that they will be joined by the awesome US band The Aggrolites. Readers of this blog will know how highly I rate this reggae band - the best contemporary band around


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The ethics of podcasting

September 13th 2006 06:26
I just saw a thread on a forum about whether or not it was illegal to listen to podcasts. Why it would be considered to be illegal is if you were listening to a music radio show, meaning you are really just downloading a bunch of mp3s together with someone talking between.

A normal radio station needs a license and through its relationship with APRA, artists are paid royalties


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I am very close to boycotting Myspace. I have a personal page and have made a page for the band I am in, The Signals, but I am very close to cutting off my use of the site. Why? Earlier this year, Myspace, one of the most popular online communities, was bought by News Corp. News own Fox, a number of tabloid newspapers in the UK, and closer to home, papers like The Daily Telegraph. Myspace became so popular for its independence, its dodgy (site constantly crashing) way of connecting people and bands and its simplicity. Obviously this independence is undermined when it is bought for millions of dollars by a huge multinational corporation who I believe partake in advertising journalism. Recently, I have noticed that although they don’t promote the fact News own the site, they do have ads cross promoting other News interests. Read: The Simpsons on Fox.

One may say with the Internet you can’t avoid contact with multinationals, but that would be a cop out. With music that I like, it has for a long time been about small record labels, individuals or small groups doing zines and people just getting stuck in to help push something they love. How then, can we go from that, to aiding this huge company to make ridiculous amounts of cash for the sake of a little promotion? I don’t think we can


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Trojan Skinhead Sevens Boxset

September 8th 2006 09:24
Over at the Trojan Records forum for some updates on the Trojan Skinhead Sevens Boxset release.

This is one of the most exciting releases from Trojan for ages! Combined with the Pama International release, this shows Trojan are back on top, listening to the people who love their reggae


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The Buzzcocks

September 7th 2006 10:54
Okay so not strictly reggae, but there is a connection. For one, you can't have started in the UK punk scene without a connection to reggae, whether or not you were in London. The second connection is they Sydney mod crowd loved the band and they showed a fair amount of support for the Sydney Ska and reggae scene in the eighties too.

So they are back in Australia. It isn't the first time, in fact, they have been here plenty of times. They are looking quite old and if they played their first gig in 1976 then they must be old, but from all reports they still put on a fine show


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Mighty Sparrow this weekend

September 6th 2006 11:27
Calypso legend Mighty Sparrow is in Australia this weekend

Friday 8th Sep - Brisbane, Powerhouse


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Sydney weekend of reggae

September 5th 2006 11:30
Saturday night was a top night. We decided we were going to take in both Sydney nights playing the reggae and I am glad we did.

First up we headed over to The Brighton Up Bar for Dynamite - a strictly reggae night supported by Sound Jazz Records. I was pleased to score another CD as we headed in - very nice people supportive of their crowd


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Reggae City Guides

September 1st 2006 09:47
I have done a little bit of a city guide for Sydney that can be found at http://dizzybeatnetwork.com/cityguide which, though poorly maintained, aims to present Sydney clubs, radio shows, record shops and scooter shops. I have tried to give visitors a bit of direction to where to head.

I have since then come across a city guide of Barcelona Spain. Knowing how good this town is for reggae I was pretty excited. Not that I have been, but I would love to. Go and check it out at: http://www.boss-sounds.org/guide/
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Reggae City Guides

September 1st 2006 09:47
I have done a little bit of a city guide for Sydney that can be found at http://dizzybeatnetwork.com/cityguide which, though poorly maintained, aims to present Sydney clubs, radio shows, record shops and scooter shops. I have tried to give visitors a bit of direction to where to head.

I have since then come across a city guide of Barcelona Spain. Knowing how good this town is for reggae I was pretty excited. Not that I have been, but I would love to. Go and check it out at: http://www.boss-sounds.org/guide/
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